Carrier for condiment and beverage containers

ABSTRACT

A carrier for condiment and beverage containers has an upright sidewall affixed to a horizontal bottom that cooperates with the sidewall to form a storage area to receive and hold condiment and beverage containers. A horizontal platform integral with the bottom extends outward with respect to the sidewall terminating with an outer end. An elongate dowel is affixed to the platform between the outer end of the platform and the sidewall. The elongate dowel extends upright with respect to the platform, and is to receive thereabout a paper towel roll and the platform to receive and support an end of the paper towel roll received thereabout the elongate dowel.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for conveniently holding bottles and containers of condiments and beverages, and for holding and dispensing paper towels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bottles and similar containers of condiments and beverages are often used during mealtime and at picnics and other similar outings, as are napkins and paper towels. Such items are routinely found in restaurants as well. In the restaurant setting, in particular, bottles of condiments are widely served tableside, such as bottles of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, as are bottles of beer and other beverages. As such, there is a need, particularly by restaurant staff, to carry all these items, in addition to paper towels for use by customers as napkins and wiping up spills. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a carrier for carrying bottles and containers of beverages and condiments, and paper towels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the principle of the invention, a carrier for condiment and beverage containers includes an upright sidewall affixed to a horizontal bottom that cooperates with the sidewall to form a storage area to receive and hold condiment and beverage containers. A horizontal platform is integral with the bottom, and extends outward with respect to the sidewall and terminates with an outer end. An elongate dowel is affixed to the platform between the outer end of the platform and the sidewall. The elongate dowel extends upright with respect to the platform. The elongate dowel is to receive thereabout a paper towel roll and the platform is to receive and support an end of the paper towel roll received thereabout the elongate dowel. A divider divides the storage area into storage compartments each to receive and hold a condiment container. The divider has a top formed with a handle.

According to the principle of the invention, a carrier for condiment and beverage containers consists of a sidewall including opposed, substantially parallel first and second end panels, and opposed, substantially parallel first and second side panels substantially perpendicular with respect to the first and second end panels. A central panel is oriented substantially parallel with respect to the first and second side panels and substantially vertical with respect to the first and second end panels, and is located between the first and second side panels and substantially vertically intersects the first and second end panels. A bottom is substantially horizontal with respect to, and affixed to, the first and second end panels, the first and second side panels, and the central panel. The bottom, the first and second side panels, the first and second end panels, and the central panel define cavities to hold condiment and beverage containers. In a particular embodiment, first and second dividers are located between the first and second end panels, and the first divider extends between the first face of the central panel and the first side panel, and the second divider extends between the second face of the central panel and the second side panel. In this embodiment, the first and second dividers cooperate with the various panels to form additional cavities to hold condiment and beverage containers. According to the principle of the invention, a platform is integral with the bottom, and is substantially perpendicular with respect to the first and second end panels, the first and second side panels, and the central panel. The platform extends outward with respect to the first end panel and terminates with an outer end. An elongate dowel is affixed to the platform between the outer end of the platform and the first end panel. The elongate dowel extends substantially vertically upright with respect to the platform. The elongate dowel is to receive thereabout a paper towel roll and the platform is to receive and support an end of the paper towel roll received thereabout the elongate dowel. The central panel has a top formed with a handle, which may be taken up by hand and used to carry the carrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier for condiment and beverage containers;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the carrier of FIG. 1 illustrating a paper towel row, depicted in phantom outline, shown installed with respect to the carrier;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the carrier of FIG. 1 illustrating a paper towel roll and condiment and beverage containers, depicted in phantom outline, shown installed with respect to the carrier; and

FIG. 4 is a section view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding elements throughout the several views, attention is first directed to FIG. 1 in which there is seen a carrier 10 including an upright sidewall 12 and a bottom 14. Referencing FIGS. 3 and 4, sidewall 12 is affixed to horizontal bottom 14. Horizontal bottom 14 cooperates with sidewall 12 to form a storage area 15 to receive and hold condiment and beverage containers, such as plastic or glass containers or bottles of salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, juice, milk, beer, or the like. A horizontal platform 20 is integral with bottom 14, and extends outward with respect to sidewall 12 and terminates with an outer end 22. Platform 20 is broad and flat, and is part of bottom 14.

Referencing FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, an elongate dowel 30 is affixed to platform 20 between outer end 22 of platform 20 and sidewall 12. Elongate dowel 30 is rigid and extends upright with respect to platform 20 alongside sidewall 12. Looking to FIG. 2, elongate dowel 30 is to receive thereabout a paper towel roll 40 depicted in phantom outline in FIG. 2, and platform 20 is to receive and support end 41 of paper towel roll 40 received thereabout elongate dowel 30. The combination of elongate dowel 30 that receives paper towel roll 40 and platform 20 against which paper towel 40 rests against when received about elongate dowel 30 provides a stable coupling of paper towel roll 40 with respect to carrier 10.

Referencing FIGS. 1 and 3, carrier 10 incorporates dividers 50-54. Dividers 50-54 are located in storage area 15, and divide storage area 15 into compartments 58 denoted in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of which is to receive and hold a container or bottle. As a matter of example, in FIG. 3 two compartments 58 are shown as they would appear with containers or bottles 18 and 19, respectively, contained therein, in which bottles 18 and 19 are illustrated in phantom outline.

Divider 50 has a top 50A formed with a handle 50B as shown in FIG. 1, which may be taken up by hand and used to carry carrier 10 from place to place. The opening or hole of handle 50B is of such a size and location as to permit comfortable gripping by an adult's hand.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, sidewall 12 consists of opposed, substantially parallel end panels 60 and 61, and opposed, substantially parallel side panels 62 and 63 substantially perpendicular with respect to end panels 60 and 61 and each joined to an end of each of the end panels 60 and 61. End panel 60 is substantially coextensive with respect to end panel 61, and side panel 62 is substantially coextensive with respect to side panel 63. Side panels 62 and 63 are longer than end panels 60 and 61 in this embodiment, such that sidewall 12 is generally rectangular in shape. Bottom 14 of carrier 10 is substantially horizontal with respect to, and affixed to, end panels 60 and 61, side panels 62 and 63, and dividers 50-54. Bottom 14, end panels 60 and 61, side panels 62 and 63, and dividers 50-54 define compartments 58 in storage area 15.

Dividers 50-54 are panels. Divider 50 is a central panel, and is oriented substantially parallel with respect to side panels 62 and 63 and substantially vertical with respect to end panels 60 and 61. The central panel of carrier 10 formed by divider 50 is located between side panels 62 and 63, and substantially vertically intersects end panels 60 and 61. Divider 50 is preferably substantially equidistant with respect to side panels 62 and 63. The central panel forming divider 50 forms two large storage compartments on either side thereof, including compartment 70 between divider 50 and side panel 62, and compartment 71 between divider 50 and side panel 63. Compartments 70 and 71 are each suitable to receive and hold containers or bottles of condiments, beverages, or the like.

In this embodiment, dividers 51 and 52 are formed in storage compartment 70 and divide storage compartment 70 into three smaller compartments 58, and dividers 53 and 54 are formed in storage compartment 70 and divide storage compartment 71 into three smaller compartments 58. Dividers 51 and 52 are located between and are substantially parallel with respect to end panels 60 and 61, and are spaced apart, and extend between and substantially vertically intersect divider 50 and side panel 62 dividing storage compartment 70 into three compartments 58 each suitable to receive a bottle or container. Dividers 53 and 54 are located between and are substantially parallel with respect to end panels 60 and 61, and are spaced apart, and extend between and substantially vertically intersect divider 50 and side panel 63 dividing storage compartment 71 into three compartments 58 each suitable to receive a bottle or container. Carrier 10 incorporates six compartments 58 in the present embodiment. In other embodiments, carrier 10 can be fashioned with less than six compartments 58 or more than six compartments 58, as may be desired.

Platform 20 integral with bottom 14 is substantially horizontal with respect end panels 60 and 61, side panels 62 and 63, and dividers 50-54, and extends outward with respect to end panel 60 and terminates with an outer end 22 opposing end panel 60. Elongate dowel 30 has a lower end 31 affixed to platform 20 between outer end 22 of platform 20 and end panel 60 at a generally central location with respect to platform 20 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and extends substantially vertically upright therefrom and terminates with upper end 32. In the present embodiment, lower end 31 of dowel 30 is frictionally received by a central opening 80 formed in platform 20 illustrated in FIG. 4 and glued in place with an adhesive. In other embodiments, lower end 31 of dowel 30 can be screwed to platform 20, welded to platform 20, integrally formed with platform 20, etc.

Carrier 10 is fashioned of wood, metal, plastic, or other substantially rigid material or combination of materials, the various parts of which are preferable secured to each other with the use of conventional joinery methods, a suitable adhesive, such as construction adhesive or other strong, aggressive adhesive, or in the case of metal and plastic with conventional welding techniques. In other embodiments, carrier 10 can be integrally formed, such as by molding of plastic or other moldable material.

In use, bottles or containers of beverages and/or condiments are placed in compartments 58, and a paper towel roll, such as paper towel roll 40 illustrated in phantom outline in FIG. 2, is placed over elongate dowel 30 and set against platform 20. At this point, handle 50B may be taken up by hand and carrier 10 loaded down with containers and/or bottles and the paper towel roll may then be carried to table and then set on the table. During a meal, the bottles or containers held in compartments 58 may then be removed and used as needed and then placed back into compartments 58 thereafter, and paper towels from paper towel roll 40 may be readily accessed and removed as needed, such as napkin use or for wiping up spills. Paper towel roll 40 can rotate about elongate dowel 30 to allow paper towels to be unwound from paper towel roll 40 and torn away. Upon completion of a meal, for instance, caddy 10 and its contents may be taken up by grasping handle 50B and carried away for cleaning and storage. If desired, advertising can be applied to the exterior surfaces of carrier 10 to convey one or more desired advertisements or advertising messages, which may be particularly suitable when carrier 10 is used in a restaurant setting.

Platform 20 is integral with bottom 14 and is therefore highly stable and not prone to breaking at the point where platform 20 meets sidewall 12. The combination of platform 20 and dowel 30 forms an exemplary and easy to use system for receiving and holding a paper towel roll in combination with a compartmented structure to receive and hold containers and/or bottles of beverages, condiments, and the like. Because platform 20 is simply an extension of bottom 14, carrier 10 as a whole is very easy to construct, and highly stable.

The invention has been described above with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes and modifications may be made to the embodiment without departing from the nature and scope of the invention. Various changes and modifications to the embodiment herein chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those skilled in the art. To the extent that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within the scope thereof. 

Having fully described the invention in such clear and concise terms as to enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice the same, the invention claimed is:
 1. A carrier for condiment and beverage containers, comprising: an upright sidewall affixed to a horizontal bottom that cooperates with the sidewall to form a storage area to receive and hold condiment and beverage containers; a horizontal platform integral with the bottom that extends outward with respect to the sidewall and terminates with an outer end; an elongate dowel affixed to the platform between the outer end of the platform and the sidewall, the elongate dowel extends upright with respect to the platform; and the elongate dowel to receive thereabout a paper towel roll and the platform to receive and support an end of the paper towel roll received thereabout the elongate dowel.
 2. The carrier for condiment and beverage containers according to claim 1, further comprising a divider that divides the storage area into storage compartments each to receive and hold a condiment container.
 3. The carrier for condiment and beverage containers according to claim 2, wherein the divider has a top formed with a handle.
 4. A carrier for condiment and beverage containers, comprising: an upright sidewall affixed to a horizontal bottom that cooperates with the sidewall to form a storage area divided into compartments with a divider, having a top formed with a handle, substantially vertically intersecting the sidewall, the compartments to receive and hold condiment and beverage containers; a horizontal platform integral with the bottom that extends outward with respect to the sidewall and terminates with an outer end; an elongate dowel affixed to the platform between the outer end of the platform and the sidewall, the elongate dowel extends upright with respect to the platform; and the elongate dowel to receive thereabout a paper towel roll and the platform to receive and support an end of the paper towel roll received thereabout the elongate dowel.
 5. A carrier for condiment and beverage containers, comprising: a sidewall including opposed, substantially parallel first and second end panels, and opposed, substantially parallel first and second side panels substantially perpendicular with respect to the first and second end panels; a central panel oriented substantially parallel with respect to the first and second side panels and substantially vertical with respect to the first and second end panels, the central panel located between the first and second side panels and substantially vertically intersecting the first and second end panels; a bottom that is substantially horizontal with respect to, and affixed to, the first and second end panels, the first and second side panels, and the central panel; the bottom, the first and second side panels, the first and second end panels, and the central panel define cavities to hold condiment and beverage containers; a platform integral with the bottom that is substantially horizontal with respect to the first and second end panels, the first and second side panels, and the central panel, the platform extends outward with respect to the first end panel and terminates with an outer end; an elongate dowel affixed to the platform between the outer end of the platform and the first end panel, the elongate dowel extending substantially vertically upright with respect to the platform; and the elongate dowel to receive thereabout a paper towel roll and the platform to receive and support an end of the paper towel roll received thereabout the elongate dowel.
 6. The carrier for condiment and beverage containers according to claim 5, wherein the central panel has a top formed with a handle. 